One of our animal control officers was attacked by a vicious dog. It shredded her left arm, puncturing two arteries. Her life was saved by a police officer, who used his tie as a torniquet. Yes, it was a pit bull. No, I do not think pit bulls are inherently any more vicious than a well-raised dachshund -- look at the abused Michael Vick dogs as an example. This dog had ALREADY been ordered out of two other towns, who didn't have the courtesy or guts to deal with it themselves.

But there is, at least in my opinion, no place in a private home for wild animals, not even if they are raised from babyhood there. Those who keep chimps, rattlesnakes, wolves, cougars, pythons, and even more esoteric animals do a disservice to both the animals and their community. I suppose it fill some sort of need to say, "This is Rachel, my pet mountain lion" and that will work until Rachel attacks someone, and that might well be the owner.

Let wild animals remain in the wild or in well-run zoos. A lion cub IS cute when young -- but I wouldn't want to have it around as someone's pet when it grew up.